


To Bake and Eat Your Cake

by Eyrdamun



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, December Spoilers, M/M, Manipulation, November spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-20 12:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16137341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eyrdamun/pseuds/Eyrdamun
Summary: Akechi decides to see where a little bit of honesty will take him.





	1. Chapter 1

On November tenth, Akechi sits on Ren's bed and his glove crinkle as he balls his fists tight. It’s a strange sight, they have always been too busy keeping each other apart under pretenses of “propriety”. Morgana mewls his presence from downstairs, and Ren tells him to stay there.  
  
"I'm tired."

He looks dead really. He must be, with how deep and purple the bags under his eyes are- the usual layer of foundation covering them is missing. He must be, Ren thinks as he hands him a cup of late night coffee, with how stiff and heavy his breathing is. They’ve been dating since September, and this is the first time he’s seen him exposing any weakness. It’s too foreign of a territory and they aren’t even calling each other by first name yet. Ren wonders if he’ll ever be able to bring himself to call that name after the twentieth.

"Drink and rest up."

Akechi barely has the energy to smile.

"You've always been too kind to me," he says as he takes the cup and places it on the windowsill before holding Ren's hand in both of his. He doesn’t hold back, but neither does he pull away. His heart hurts and wants, his brain thinks and fears. Ren finds himself wishing he could have had the chance to explore these uncharted moments before. " I..."

He trails off and frowns. Akechi is being so honest that Ren wonders if he should call a hospital. The way his mask is nowhere to be found, how his voice is rough in its exhaustion and his expression and mannerism are hard, it’s all-

It's all too-

"I'm stepping out of line, aren't I?"  
  
It's all so satisfying, to finally see Akechi so transparently drained. It’s also painful.

"You're fine." The lie barely dances out of his mouth before his hand is squeezed and he is pulled under, under, under the-

Under the Yongen-Jaya night lights, Akechi holds him close. The exhaustion so raw and the emotion so bared that it feels like their first embrace. The only kisses they exchange are their exhaled breaths on each other lips and a traitorous thought sings for a new, real, first kiss. "May I?"

But he smothers that song with the condemning audio of Akechi’s call, and reminds himself of Akechi’s plan. Of why he wore foundation of his face every time with the exception of tonight and pretended all this time. Of why he joined his group. Ren can't grasp what he's asking for, only what Ren himself wants it to be.

"I'm so tired."

Akechi's feelings paint themselves on his face. The way the muscles shift and move foreign, Ren can tell with how loudly the tremble in Akechi's eyes proclaim his confession as truth. Hope bubbles in his stomach, bitterness infects his tongue.

"I know." Ren brushes the detective's fringe away from his face to gift a butterfly kiss on his forehead. It’s what he should do. "I know."

And it was the right thing to do because Akechi closes his eyes and buries his face into the protection of Ren's ribs, right besides his heart. Hope turns into a flame and flares in his bones.

"Let's talk," Akechi whispers against the beating flesh, "tomorrow."

"Ok." _Of course._

"With everyone."

"Ok." _Gather your thoughts first._

"You'll be ok," Akechi murmurs and Ren hums that they both will be.  
  
He floats through the night from sheer expectation of what the morrow will bring, hopes for honesty and a future of two. The only thing anchoring him to this world is Akechi’s head on his chest. But this is dangerous.

They know Akechi works for someone. They know his plan.

And Ren fears that he’s wrong, that what he wants won’t happen, that all the love he gave was sneered upon behind closed doors, and that all the affection given to him was faker than his own bravado vis a vis their counter measure.

Akechi squeezes his midsection. "Let's rest," _tomorrow, we'll talk_.

  
  
  
  


 

"Ohh man, this sounds like one of the conspiracies of that forum I'm in--"

"Dude, no one wants to know. No one wants to know anything about your computer search history."

Akechi leans more of his weight on the back of Ren's chair. It creaks and pushes against his back but that's fine. He can tell this conversation ruffles Akechi. He can’t judge, there’s a giddy energy in his gut.

"Uh, obviously you won’t. I have it set up to delete everything every hour-" Futaba snatches some jagariko from an unsuspecting and thoroughly offended Yusuke."- I'm not a noob."

Makoto sits in front of Ren. A suspicious frown mars her features as Haru pretends to be distracted patting Mona. Even with their limited time together, he can tell.

"Why?" Makoto's voice commands quiet as Ryuji's and Futaba's play fighting turns louder.

Akechi coughs, face still as pale and tired as yesterday, as if he never managed to rest in the end. His face smudges with a quirk of his lips and Ren wonders if he imagined that. He turns his attention back to Makoto as Akechi speaks.

"I wanted revenge. That's all."

Ann's empathy is seering. She clutches the sleeves of her own hoodie as her eyes prod for an explanation.

"I was blinded by my hatred and didn't think things through."

"Or is it that you can't see through what you started?"

Haru's legs are crossed at her ankle and her pretty mouth shut. She looks so dainty and subdued that they could almost write off that attack as a collective imagination.

Almost.

Ryuji looks uncomfortable. "Oh man, that was cold."

Akechi sags imperceptibly further against Ren. He wants to reach out to squeeze his gloved hand but refuses to protect him from her anger.

"Forgive me," Haru starts and looks reluctant to finish. "This is all too much. First, all the people you've hurt, my father, what you were doing- going to do- to Ren even, and now you’re...!"

Akechi shakes his head.

"I probably deserved that."

Ren bounces his leg as an orange blur wriggles closer to Yusuke and Ann leans over to place her hand on Haru's shoulder. Ann’s blue eyes look at Ren too and he knows if it weren’t for the distance, she would be holding him too.

But this does hardly anything to appease Makoto who keeps her sights on Akechi.

"So what do you propose we do?" Makoto crossed arms are intimidating, Ren thinks. He’s impressed by Akechi being able to meet her eyes. "Even knowing of Shido Masayoshi, the deadline for my sister's palace is still too soon."

"I agree. That's why I have a proposal."

"Oh, great, a new one." Ann deflates in tandem with Ryuji.

Unexpectedly, Akechi chuckles so transparently everyone can read his hesitation. Futaba blinks rapidly in befuddlement. "It's sadly the only way I can think of to buy us time after the casino."

Ren tilts his head.

"I propose we pretend to go with the trap and fake our leader's death."

Ren swallows loud, louder, loudly.

But nowhere near as loud as the buzzing in his ears, nowhere near as deafening as the ice freezing his body inside out. Above the cacophony of crushing waves, he can see Makoto say they'll have to think of a way.

"I already thought of something." Akechi puts a hand on his shoulder and it feels like rocks in his pockets.

  
  


 

 

Akechi's plan was near identical to theirs but they don't mention it, they don't mention they knew.

When everyone leaves to begin their preparations, Futaba dragging Morgana with her, Akechi presses a smile against Ren’s nape.

"I'm glad you won't be..." he trails off but the lips against his skin feel like the blade of Ren's own knives. "You have nothing to worry about."

"That's great, I like living," he hears himself say as he reaches behind him and blindly pats Akechi. He can feel the detective’s laughing mouth against his palm before a kiss is settled on it. He leaves not long after that, announcing he has something to take care of himself.

The attic is stuffy, he is powerless to stop his thoughts from spiraling and being outside only helps so much. He thinks of tarot cards and of Chihaya’s warnings.

But he's proved her wrong so many times and doesn't fancy losing his winning streak. Not like this, not on this one.

He decides to attend one of his jobs, kill time with Takemi and her trials. But the medicine isn't as bitter on his tongue today, taste weakened by his own scrambling mind. The effects only make him ponder if this blackout will be echoed as a part of the plan. He loses consciousness and a few hours with that thought.

When he wakes up and returns to the cafe he calls home, Morgana waits for him on his bed. He stretches with a small mewl and,

"Ren, you should probably hear this."

(Morgana sprawls on Futaba's bed. She sits on her chair, computer fans blaring but not loud enough to mute Akechi's words.

"I need a favour."

Futaba awkwardly shuffles in her seat. She can't really sass him when they are alone, so Morgana does it for her. "You know, you're still on thin ice. "

"I'm aware." Akechi smiles self deprecatingly. "But it's not about me."

Futaba and Morgana both perk up.

"If I were to get you an in on the conspiracy, and some more equipment-" Morgana shoots up and stands near the edge of the bed while Futaba’s eyes widen behind her frames. "- could you erase all mentions of Ren?"

"Wh-"

"He's not mentioned by name, or at least shouldn't be. But if they dig around Shido and they find me. ....I'm sure you understand what I'm getting at."

It had completely slipped their minds.

"Don't worry about me- I've prepared the means to go undercover a long time ago- but Ren-")

Futaba was shocked out of her social fear, Morgana tells him. "She slapped him with the book nearest to her," the cat sighs, "it was a manga so it didn't hurt but she can yell super loud."

"Morgana." Ren bounces his leg and feels his throat close up as bile rises up.

"She agreed! And she'll help him too, don't worry."

Ren worries anyway, anxiety makes a home in his lungs and infects his pores. It’s fear, a disease, he never paid much attention to what exactly he was tackling. It dawns on him then just how much the cover of ignorance had doubled as bravado. But part of him is hopeful still, his heart pleads that he believes in his friends, in everyone. The other half of him withers, he begins to prepare never coming back home again.

Theoretically, logically, he has every right to be afraid and envies everyone else's apparent ease. But maybe, deep down, they are the same as him.

  
  


 

 

They go through with it. Ren doesn't trust Akechi, not at all, no matter how much he may lov-

He tells Futaba to keep an eye on him, to find a way to tap into the cameras inside the building and to use Sae Nijima if necessary. He doesn’t want her to witness his trauma, just wants her to see enough to know if Akechi decides to betray them, just enough for them to know if he has to be stopped. He makes her promise Makoto and Haru will survey the video feeds instead of her.

  
  


 

 

The injection marks itch and he thinks the handcuffs will leave scars. A lot of things will scar, the haze still enveloping his brain does little to lose the thought. He sways on his feet a bit, makes a show off an indecisive dance before leaning on the counter with his unbruised leg propping his weight up. Somehow, his hip becomes a point of balance and he leans further into it. Takemi did what she could and he’d rather not undo her hard work.

Everyone does as they should and turn a blind eye on him.

He's spacing out, eyes unfocused and room tittering on the edge of black when Akechi pushes against his side to steer him upstairs with a "you should rest" exhaled against his ear.

He shivers, feels like shit and feels the ghosts of hands, needles and shoes echoing on his skin. But at least he's alive.

"I knew you would get hurt." Akechi's fingers flow against the bruises from the interrogation. His words ripple with sadness and something akin to regret. "But I didn't anticipate them taking it this far."

Ren catches Akechi's hand sluggishly. The drug is slowly leaving his system, but lying back as Akechi props himself on an elbow besides him, so warm and comfortable, makes him feel just as weak, just as sleepy.

"I don't remember most of it." He should elaborate, he should joke. "Drugs."

Akechi's head falls off its pedestal onto Ren's shoulder quickly and without hurting him. "Stop joking about that."

"I'll be fine."

"Really."

"I don't wanna think about it." He's tired.

Akechi relents. "Right, good night, sleeping beauty."

Ren doesn't hear the sarcasm, just an adult's mockery before water splashes against his face.

"Ren?"

"Night."

  
  


 

 

"Ya know, we could just take him to the metaverse and spam him with healing spells."

"Oh yeah! Ryuji, not bad!"

"Lady Ann, I was just thinking about that too-"

"Whaddya mean not bad?! And I already checked, you can totally patch up wounds you get here in the metaverse."

"How did you check?"

Ren wonders that too as Akechi takes his left arm and inspects it.

"Oh, I got kind of nasty cut once when cooking some veggies and didn't want ma to freak out."

His futon is uncomfortable, he has yet to replace the crates under it with an actual support frame. He would have prefered it if Akechi had pushed him on something else to check his wounds.

"Aww."

"Wait, your persona can't heal."

"Lady Ann’s right!"

"Wh-"

"You can cook? Are you a good chef?"

"Yusuke, that's not really important right now."

Akechi's hands are careful. Ren hates this, he isn't paper.

"Ren gave us all healing items, remember?"

He wants to run around in a palace, feel the impact of the floor on his knees as he pirouettes, wants his persona surging out of his skin and push away the memories of--

"-- emergencies! You can't just use up our supplies!"

"Ren, give me your other arm." Somehow, Akechi's soft voice drowns out Morgana’s screeching.

"Not worrying my ma is an emergency!"

"I'm with Ryuji on this one."

"Lady A-"

"Ren, please." Akechi pulls at his other arm, unrolls his sleeve and undoes the bandages on his wrist.

"It's not that bad, Akechi."

"Pardon me, so if real world wounds can be healed in the metaverse-"

"I can take care of it myself."

"-then I could theoretically try to eat the mushrooms growing in the-"

"Yusuke, no!!"

Akechi ignores him and them.

"It was just a thought."

"Ren, can you believe this guy?!"

Ren makes a face and shrugs. The actions sends a jolt of pain from his wounds to his brain, but it gets the message across. Because, yes. He can believe it.

"Anyway, " Ann speaks loudly, accentuating the word with a clap of her hands. "If we patch leader up in the metaverse, we could start Shido's palace."

Akechi's back is turned to them and Ren can only see the top of the detective's head. It's all he needs to know that he's displeased and while his voice is pleasant, there still lies a cold tone of finality when he speaks. "Ren needs rest, and I’m not referring just physically."

"Can't we start patching me up slowly though?"

Brown red eyes meet Ren's grey ones.

"We can." Akechi squeezes his arm as he finishes applying the cream. "I will admit I didn't think of that. However, I refuse to allow you to step into his palace for the next three weeks."

"Oh, c'mon!"

"But the election..."

"You're unreasonable. If you're that worried just stick close to me and protect me."

Ann whistles, Ryuji and Morgana groan as Yusuke stares into the distance. On the other hand, Akechi smiles and it looks like a vain smirk.

"If you insist."

"Don't we possess items to cure hunger, in that ca--"

Akechi takes advantage of the thunder in the shape of two yelling blonds and steals a kiss.

The corner of Ren's lips quirk upwards against his boyfriend's before he turns his head to the side and breaks the kiss. "Yusuke, just come over more often and Boss'll feed you. He can't say no, especially if you get Futaba your side."

Yusuke easily agrees.

  
  
  


 

 

The cafe Haru took him to is loud for a store so fancy. Ren can't help but notice as they hand the waiter their menus and order. And while it’s easier to be lost, be just another face in the crowd, Ren’s bruises are healing nicely, he has enough makeup to hide their remains and a realistic wig. Besides, Haru prefers quieter places, they both do, so he braces himself for the inevitable.

She takes a deep breath, eyes clumsily tracing over the other customers between glances she steals at him. She's not very good at being stealthy yet, but worlds better than Ryuji back when they started thieving. He splays his hands on the table before him and she takes a second, deeper, breath.

A beat passes, her small fingers graze the back of his hand. They stroll all the way up to his wrist--

"Please be careful."

She holds him in a vice grip. Ren knows nothing would ease her fear, but he tries and covers her hand with his free one. He understands her though, she voices the treacherous whispers in the back of his head.

"I will."

Her knuckles remain white even as she thanks the waiter for bringing their drinks.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The rhythmic slicing of the apple soothes him. The TV is on and set on the news, a reminder that Goro is still under the thumb of that man and that his thigh isn't healed enough for his in fight dramatics. He just needs one or two trips to the metaverse with Morgana and he'll be good to go.

Goro refused to let him be healed up all in one go. Muttered that it might be too confusing for his head to wrap around the sudden healing and force his wounds open again by sheer psience.

Ren doesn't mention how Akechi was right, and how the one majour wound he had Makoto sneakily heal opened up after returning to the real world. He doesn't like thinking about how he saw the flesh darken and break, a sensation that was spread throughout hours crammed in a handful of seconds.  At the very least, he doesn't want to think about it as he relaxes.

He puts the sliced apples with the rest of the simmering sauce just like Boss taught him to and twirls the knife between his fingers before leaving it on the cutting board.

"How did you deal with it?" Ren stirs the pot. "With the mental shutdowns, I mean."

The detective turns a page of the book he found on the counter.

Four letters are a herculean task to say. "Goro."

The aforementioned sighs and puts the book down. " I heard you," Goro murmurs, and it feels so strange to call him that. "I just don't know how to word it. I was just... spurred on by spite."

"Ah yes, the most powerful of drives."

Goro chuckles ironically and it sounds like velvet. Ren likes how intimate he is growing to the sound. "I assume you're more than familiar with it."

"I'll tell you all about it when we get rid of Shido." Ren raises an eyebrow and Goro raises one back, expression so deadpanned he imagines it'll freeze like that.

"Don’t even try to bribe me. "

"Fine."

"You aren't escaping your mandatory rest."

"You're awful, clearly." The pot laughs at their banter, its amusement floating like bubbles to the surface and popping. "But at least you always fetch me the stuff I tell you to 'cause I apparently need all the rest."

Goro goes back to his book as Ren watches over their supper.

"...I know you don't require my help."

"I didn't mean it like- I appreciate it, I really do."  The pot quiets down so he can turn around and face the other. He catches a hint of a smile that vanishes quickly behind dark gloves passing with the pretext to comb brown locks back. Ren smirks, he can still see the joy in the crinkle of Goro's eyes. "Now fetch me my phone."

"Am I a dog?"

"The tallest Labrador."

The chair squeaks as Goro sits up straighter. There's a glint in his eyes and he bites his lip momentarily before his face turns poker perfect. Whatever joke he cooked up couldn't permanently crack the facade his perfected through the years. The thought makes Ren want to reach out even though he knows Goro is about to say something questionable.

"Well, Labradors are known to be great bloodhounds."

... Of course.

"Well, bloodhound me a new boyfriend with less morbid facts." The food smells delicious as it cooks. More pleasant than his boyfriend, but that might be just his stomach speaking.

"Are you telling me to incapacitate your suitors or...?"

The ambience feels homey, they both stand in the same room with no walls between them and it scratches an itch in the back of Ren's brain and at the forefront of his heart. Playing along like this, listening to Goro's joking- "Bad dog."

"Woof, woof," Goro grins and goes back to the borrowed book just as the sauce begins to have a chortle. Ren stirs it again.

"Worst dog, didn't even get me my phone."

He barks a laughter and Ren shoots him a smile.

"Woof."

Ren looks around. It's weird, he notices, how everywhere he looks he can still see Goro. Not him himself, but something of his, a memory of his, a... It's needlessly domestic and his stomach rumbles with giddiness. He didn’t think he would have this, didn’t think that Goro’s feelings would be honest and choose _him_. He finds the condiment jar he was searching for easily enough.

"Say woof one more time, and I'll pour all of the spice in."

"Woof-" The chair screeches with Goro as he rushes to his side in the kitchen. "You were serious?!"

If Goro pushes him- lightly, too lightly because he's too afraid Ren would shatter with a breeze- after he shows him the jar's firmly closed lid with a guffaw, then he would gladly accept that punishment for the warmer moments they spend together.


	2. Chapter 2

~~~~"Have you heard about the allegations against Shido-san?”  
  
“They have to be a last second smear campaign.”  
  
“The election is in two weeks after all.”  
  
The groceries in Ren's hands grow heavier the more he overhears. He runs as fast as he can back home and texts the group chat. His heart is hammering, no one knows where the leak could have come from.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mementos howls a welcome, the whispers in the air hiss greetings in his ears, the veins of the collective unconscious pulse around him in mockery- they bring his unease on a golden platter to whatever it feeds.

Crow strolls to his side and the nonexistent wind makes his cape curl around Joker's arm.  
  
"We won’t spend too long here today." The rest of the thieves stand farther away. Fox keeps watch over them with Noir as Oracle, Mona and Queen council. "Let's ease back into it."  
  
Joker stares at Skull and Panther joshing around. "And then Shido."  
  
Crow's red wings expand and he moves closer still, hand brushing against bicep. "Once you've recovered sufficiently."  
  
Joker twirls a knife and then twirls on his feet. Dark leather thundering over the cackling of society so that all eyes turn to him. Casually, Joker commands.  
  
"We'll explore the new floors," his voice is calm and his boyfriend exhales a displeased puff of air. "Warm up at about halfway there."  
  
When he walks towards everyone to assign vanguard, Crow guards his left side from nothing. It's a sweet sentiment, Joker would like for him not to join him in the front lines but-  
  
He bumps their shoulders together and the red long nosed mask does nothing to hide his smile.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Blunt force followed by a spell leaves him heaving. Half of his personae want to flinch, a third lash out and whatever is left of him wants normalcy. Light engulfs the enemy, announcing Crow’s presence before he grabs his shoulder and pulls him to his chest, where he can feel the other’s heart pounding. Joker thought he could even hear it, but that turned out to be just his own heart hammering.  
  
"-didn't?!"  
  
Crows yell reverberates against his skin more than in his ears.  
  
"Well we shouldn't baby him!"  
  
Joker pushes away and shakes his head. The feeling of the magic needles doesn't leave his flesh and there’s a pounding in the shape of man’s shoe on his thigh.  
  
"Please don't. The persona I had equipped just has a weakness against physical attacks. It's whatever, I was careless."  
  
Mementos whispers laugh as Crow's eyes narrow. Joker ignores them, focuses, and changes masks.  
  
"There, nothing to freak about." He stands tall and Crow subtly places himself in easy reach.

"Oracle said we're close to a safe floor. If you're that worried we can pull out when we reach it."  
  
"Hm, alright. We've been here for a while after all."  
  
The white, red and gold bird on his shoulder tweets in disappointment.

 

  
  
Nestling his head in the crook of his arm in one of LeBlanc’s booth, Ren boops Morgana’s nose. Morgana swats him with his claws.  
  
Makoto sits in front of him, she takes inventory of all the items used in their previous excursion and makes a list.  
  
He boops it again. This time teeth grit him.  
  
“Is he,” she starts with as much delicacy as she can master. As much as Ren teases her for her brashness, she has been steadily improving. The effect Haru has on her is as obvious as their very reciprocal dance. Ren smiles and Morgana pouts as much as his kitty muzzle lets him. “Treating you well?”  
  
“I’m here, aren’t I?”  
  
She writes something down, her pencil scratching audibly and then turns to face him.  
  
“Haru and I are concerned.”  
  
Ren knows. It shows on his face, he figures since Morgana licks the back of the hand he bit. “I’ve been keeping an eye on them and Akechi.”  
  
“He treats me like glass.”  
  
“He does treat him well.” The cat pitter patters towards Makoto. “And! You know I wouldn’t be covering for that guy.”

Ren takes injury at that. He likes to think of himself as someone more logical than not. He points out as much by reminding them how he had been doing just fine back when his boyfriend was still planning on killing him. Somehow, he should have known that would only make Makoto’s eyes downcast and lid in guilt.  
  
“How can you let yourself be this close to him?”  
  
“He didn’t do it.”  
  
“He was planning to!” Makoto breathes sharply, a gulp of a breath that sways her whole torso as her lungs expand in a stutter and she sits up straighter. “You didn’t even trust him when he confessed to all of us!”  
  
“Well, I was wrong. He chose not to.” He means to stand up and sit by Makoto’s right, but she shakes her head with a huff. “Makoto, he chose not to, and that’s all I have.”  
  
“I don’t know how I would react if I were in your place.”  
  
Ren waves a hand in the air and Morgana scurries upstairs. He should probably do like the cat, but he can’t pass up the chance. “Haru would never do you like that, so no need to wor-”  
  
Akechi walks in on Makoto shaking Ren back and forth from across the table, flushed and yelling about her feelings for a girl being purely platonic. He thinks for a second about stepping in, until he notices Morgana staring at him from the steps. Instead, when the cat shakes its head, he walks around the counter and helps himself to the cafe’s fridge.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
As Goro leads them to Shido's palace, Ren can't help but feel apprehensive. He doesn't let it show on his face as he walks up to his boyfriend and brushes their arms together in a sign of solidarity.  
  
Somewhere a few steps behind them, Ann tells Ryuji updates on Shiho and Haru speaks gently with Makoto. Ren bets his two older friends pay close attention to Goro as always.  
  
"To think we have had our lives ruined by the same man," Goro sighs.  
  
"You did say meeting me felt like fate."  
  
"Destiny, actually." Goro bumps against him with a smile, Morgana grunts his annoyance at the push from within the bag so Ren switches it to his other shoulder.  
  
"Ah, my bad," Ren hums. "The drugs made me forget a lot of your bad flirting."  
  
He feels Goro tense and the cat he carries squirm against him. Still, side by side, they keep walking forward.  
  
"I really wish you didn't say things like that."  
  
Morgans meows his agreement. It comes muffled and slightly distorted.  
  
"It's not cute?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
“Do you really not know anything about the leak?”  
  
Goro leans closer and whispers, “Shido is working on it, but he hasn’t given me a new hit.”  
  
Quiet falls on them. Wrapped in silence, they arrive at the diet building.  
  
  
  
  
The ship is gaudy and unnecessarily lavished. Noir and Oracle look out the horizon, conversing in hushed tones the wind buries. Fox doesn't take long to join them with hands hanging limply at his sides. The waters that ravaged Tokyo in Shido's mind are peaceful- they rock the cruise gently and Joker doesn't want to dig deeper into that.  
  
He doesn't want to think about what this asshole has done. Crow paces like a caged lion as they check their inventory and strategize. His nervous energy is infectious, Skull hops on his heels and tries to uselessly hurry Queen up. It doesn’t take too long after she punches him in the arm for them to finish up, and they traverse the cruise’s doors to explore its insides. When he hears Oracle mocking the palace through their connection, he relaxes and brings Skull and Noir with him to the front lines. He already knows there would be no dissuading Crow, doesn’t even pretend to attempt bringing any other fourth member with him.  
  
The anonymity in the masquerade speaks volumes and hymns of idolatry, and they mingle among the human shapes to the stairs. He looks back to his friends, finding Crow rudely pushing through some of the crowd. In the limited shade of the steps, Joker wants to facepalm, instead he ascends.

But he can only walk in the shadows for so long.

He hides behind a pillar waiting for a shadow to pass by when he almost screams as a hand grabs his wrist firmly and turns him around. The tips of his white mask blaze ready but Crow doesn't spare him a glance.  
  
"Let me at them."  
  
Something dawns on Joker as the outline of phantom metal snares where white fingers clutch. He shakes the ghost away.  
  
"I'll make sure they don't have the time to warn anyone- let me at them."  
  
Shido’s voice is booming from the speakers and is followed by loud cheering. Crow reaches for his gun.  
  
Skull replies for him as he wonders what train of thought his boyfriend followed. "Dude, what the eff?! Don't startle Joker like that! Anyway, you heard the strategy for today."  
  
“He was shoving the crowd on our way here.” Noir squats beside Skull and fluffs her hair up. “I’m surprised they didn’t call security.”  
  
Crow narrows his eyes and lets out a hiss of a breath. Shoulders rising and falling with his chest, he has difficulty calming himself. In the meantime, the guard turns and enters a set of doors. The hiding thieves are the only shadows remaining, and Joker wraps an arm around the one clad in white.  
  
He nods at Noir and Skull to take point.  
  
"You made such a deal about me being ready for this, but are you?"  
  
Crow shoves him away.  
  
"I've been dreaming about this ever since I found out about him, don't- don't you dare..."  
  
"Don't lose your cool then."  
  
In the corner of his eye, he sees a purple glove waving them over. Crow notices too, exhales deeply one last time.  
  
"I won't." His white gloves lace their fingers together and squeeze gently. The gesture comes out robotic, but Joker understands. "I assure you, I won't mess this up.”

Joker stalks towards Noir. All around him, Shido’s voice booms in the room once more. However, this time there’s a crash, screams and Crow rushes him to the others with a childishly spiteful grin.  
  
He broke a speaker, Oracle snitches.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“I think my hypothesis is confirmed, leader.” Oracle sits back with him, Skull and Panther. He nods, taking a handful of the chips on Skull’s lap and shoving them in his mouth.  
  
The two girls follow his lead while the their electricity user talks without swallowing first. “What hypothesis?”  
  
“You can’t hear what goes on in a safe room outside of it,” Oracle snickers and Skull joins her.  
  
“And I was so willing to bet people at the Diet Building were hearing this.”  
  
Panther reaches over Skull and lightly smacks Joker over the top of his head. “Your boyfriend is getting murdered by Queen, have some respect.”  
  
He wouldn’t go that far, nothing was wiping the grin on Crow’s face. Even Mona stopped trying to calm her down. Although, he thinks that’s more Noir’s distracting him with stipulations on where the very physical leak in the palace is. One wouldn’t want to accidentally hit the crack and sink the ship while they explore after all.  
  
“But like,” Panther continues. “I’ll admit it was funny when he broke that first speaker. The third one though…”  
  
Skull shrugs. “Can’t blame the dude.”  
  
Joker agrees and reaches for more chips.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When they get back in the attic that night after exploring the ship, Ren writes in his journal about fake loitering and snacks he didn’t eat. Morgana stretches and does the best imitation of a perplexed human expression he can with the limited kitty muscles.  
  
“Why are you writing in that thing?”  
  
He shrugs. “Habit.”  
  
“I don’t think anyone would expect you to keep that up when you’re in hiding.”  
  
Ren agrees wholeheartedly and, besides, his journal is bullshit so stopping now would be a more honest action than most of the words written on the pages. The only truths in it being if he went to school, what he ate for lunch or where in the city he hanged out at. There are no names, no one mentioned at all.  
  
Not even his own name is labeled on it. Not even Goro's name is among the pages.  
  
He did start writing it once when he wrote about the tv station before scratching it off, it had been a time before his boyfriend’s name would have meant more than the brand name of a drink from a random vending machine. It would have been unfair to his friends, unfair to his abandoned thoughts. After all, he couldn’t allow for people to know with whom he associated, not after Kamoshida’s palace kickstarted their thieving, and so he meticulously rewrote all the entries and trashed the original ones.  
  
Ren didn’t want to be a weak link where he can help it. He’ll force the nightmares that plague him under the blanket of the night to remain just that. Nightmares.  
  
He can’t afford the luxury of a paper trail and he shuts the journal.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Getting the letters is testing everyone's patience. In the palace, Goro scores lowest of the class. But outside of it, huddled and his arms full of Ren, he is the perfect personification of peace as his gloveless fingers play with dark curls. The patted hums his approval.  
  
"It always amazes me how much you're like a cat." Goro has a tendency of speaking softly in tender moments, it’s something he’s discovered recently and can’t help but to appreciate with all his being. Feeling the vibrations of his voice from where his head is perched against Goro's heart, he snuggles closer. "Is your humming the equivalent of purring?"

  
It's hard to believe that Goro massacres the enemies shadows with barely contained rage when they praise the palace ruler. Goro's finger coax a noise from the back of Ren's throat when they shower attention to a spot behind his ear. The same fingers that, during a hold up, pulled the trigger on a stubborn enemy.  
  
"Ah." His voice is lulling him to sleep. "Now that was a purr."  
  
He had summoned Robin Hood with a roar and a growl, teeth bared and gritted, chin down and protecting his neck. It was feral, Ren thought for a second that he was going to rip the letter holders’ throats off with his own canines. One of them didn’t even have a moment to transform.  
  
Goro chuckles. His chest shakes to the melody of the sound. Ren sleepily wonders what will happen when they get that final letter.  
  
"Shush."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Later, energized by the impromptu nap, Ren gives as good as he gets. His fingers dance against Goro's back, featherlight as they search for tension to press out. But he's been at it for long enough the expanse of flesh before him is tender, so he chooses to caress and press it firmly instead.  
  
Goro doesn't say anything, his head is buried in his arms. He's probably asleep.  
  
Ren combs his fingers through his boyfriend hair. He then stands up, and avoids all the creaking boards on his way downstairs.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When the phantom thieves traverse the engine room, final letter in hand, a familiar figures waits in their paths. Three amalgamations of shadows behind it snarl at them.  
  
“What a surprise,” dulcet tones dulled by delusions echo. “It seems you’ve lost your worth and your sense of loyalty.” The cognitive Akechi Goro doesn’t emote as it speaks. “You’ve failed our captain.”  
  
Noir, on the other hand, does and frowns at the cognition. Joker sees the way Queen steps closer to her and gathers she is seeing something else. When she bites her lips and looks at Crow with empathy, he sees it too. Farther back, Oracle grumbles to herself and the words carry. “Man, Shido really is far up his own ass.”  
  
Crow ignores her.  
  
“Failed? Oh.” He brings his hand to his chin, in a mockery of pondering. “It seems he thinks that I’m too stupid to betray him. Is that it?”  
  
They’ve seen this waltz enough times to know he’ll rip asunder the cognition all the while spitting venom. Joker raises his hand, a sign for the others to relent. There’s no harm in Crow doing as he sees fit in the face of cognition.  
  
“Our only purpose is to aid the captain in his rise to power.” Its face splits in a manic grin. “We’re his weapon, and a weapon that cannot be used should be exposed of. It’s pathetic that you’ve become like this. At least, I still remain.”  
  
It doesn’t matter what the cognition says, its eyes reflect nothing and Joker wonders just how exactly Crow acts when he speaks with Shido to spawn this. His boyfriend laughs besides him, a wicked sound that barely hides the sound of Noir’s axe grinding against the floor as she walks forward.  
  
“Oh, this is rich. That man is much more of a fool than I thought.”  
  
“The captain is much more than you could ever imagine. Unlike you, I will carry out the his orders and eliminate these vermins.” It raises its gun, but then raises it higher until the barrel is horizontal to its face. “Or perhaps you could redeem yourself here.”  
  
Joker blinks. Before he can register that he actually fears, Noir speaks.  
  
“Crow, if I may-” she hefts her axe over her shoulder and the rim of her hat obscurs her eyes “-would you allow me to join?”  
  
The shadows behind the cognition stir and hiss, their shapes rippling as they separate themselves into their components. Oracle scoffs that they are weaklings, and she barely finishes the sentence before Astarte is summoned and her pink jaws open up to fire a volley.  
  
Crow is unfazed by the sudden blast, staring straight at his twisted reflection.  
  
“So you’re going to do something productive with the disdain you have for me?” His blade comes to life, a blue light from a golden handle that he points towards the figure wearing a mockery of his face. “As long as you understand that I get to land the finishing blow, you’re welcomed.”

  
The shadows pull themselves up, and Joker has enough. Quickly appointing Queen to support Noir and Crow, he pulls the rest of the thieves with him and charges the forming shadows. From the corner of his eyes, the cognition lifts its gun, points it at him and-  
  
Crow has enough time to lunge at it, anger spewing from his mouth. The shot misses, barely gracing Joker’s arm as a the lightsaber cuts and seers the cognitive flesh. It’s quickly followed by the swinging of an axe, and the cognition almost doesn’t have the time to turn into a monstrosity for the fight.  
  
(He hears the cognition drag mud from Crow’s past, hears him sneer how he only made it this far out of the captain’s good will, that he’s a throwaway child so lucky that someone even looks at him.  
  
Joker summons one of his masks, calling a heavenly light down on the shadow before him. He averts his gaze back to Crow, taking in the way he grits his teeth and how hard his fists clench before he’s gone and back again at the cognition’s throat.  
  
Only when they are safely out of the palace does Ren gently pry Goro’s fingers from the handle of the toy sword. It’s cracked, it’s a wonder it served as a weapon at all, and he doesn’t let his boyfriend apologize.  
  
“I’ll just get you a new one. We have the means.”  
  
Goro apologizes anyway. )  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Goro walks him up to his room, a certain lightness in his steps that leaves Ren curious.  
  
“It felt good, fighting the cognition.”  
  
The smell of coffee permeates the wood in the attic, and it drifts like a hug. It feels warm even with the wind drafting in, Ren doesn’t take too long to change as Goro elaborates shyly. “It felt like becoming free. Which is silly, I still have to deal with him and that thing will appear again.”  
  
“Stress relief is stress relief.” The black long sleeved shirt goes over his head and he tugs it down. He pops open the button of his jeans and is about to unzip them when Goro lets out a small sound. Keeping his pants on, he turns around to find Goro cross legged on his futon staring at the plant in the corner. He is covering his mouth with his glove and it does very little to hid the red on his cheeks. Ren stares. “We’ve bathed together. You helped patch me up.”

“Context is everything.”  
  
“I have so many questions.”  
  
“Not that context. It’s just-” Goro clears his throat. “You aren’t hurt anymore.”  
  
Ren laughs loud enough he hears Soujirou yelling at him to keep it down. He calls out an apology as Morgana shushes him from downstairs, unzips his jeans and throws them at his boyfriend’s face before putting on his sweats. Goro squacks, and the fake indignance doesn’t eclipse his smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Itll be a threeparter. Part three will be up Wednesday, if I manage to have enough patience to not cave in before that. 
> 
> Ty xov fir speaker breaking akechi♡


	3. Chapter 3

It’s been a couple of days since he visited Crossroads and, while Ren busies his hands preparing infiltration tools, his phone buzzes.

Ohya replies to the question he had asked that night in a series of quick less than sober successive texts. The accusations against Shido started up in an anonymous online thread, where the poster went on and on about the connections between multiple cases, scandals and Shido, as well as backhandedly hinting he was involved in something more dangerous than just the avarice conjured by one mere man.

It's only when she tells him how the poster has accused him of connections with the Yakuza and possibly the mental shutdowns that Ren feels his blood dry. The baseless suspisition that had been snickering in his ears whenever Goro got too close, whenever Goro's lips would brush against his own, is deafening.

He barely manages to read the messages before they are deleted from his phone. His suspicion is startled, shifts, and whispers coalition. It cackles and the needle thin fangs of fear sink into his neck.

"Hey! I wasn't done reading!" Morgana yowls, awakening Ren from his waking nightmare. His companion sheathes the claws he had scratched Ren's arm with, Ren wonders how he confused that with his neck. The cat nuzzles his forearm as it voices his dissappintme and takes cat another second to realize what happened. "Huh?"  
  
Ren is tired.

He sighs, sits down on the futon and brings a confused Morgana with him. Repeating what the drunken reporter told him to his companion gives it a sense of finality, he spends a handful of minutes waiting for Futaba to arrive, to explain. Morgana has yet to put two and two together when she bursts into his room, slightly sweating, and takes out his gaming console.

“Don’t tell anyone.” The gaming system comes to life and she plops herself down on the floor. “I used the equipment your boyfriend gave me- but don't worry, I still covered up my tracks and made sure not to post everything.”

“You did what?!” Miraculously, Soujirou doesn’t tell them to quiet down the cat during opening hours.

Ren muses she forgot how rotten those adults are and how far they are willing to go. Unprompted, he muses that Goro left that out when asking for another favour. He physically shakes the (not) baseless accusation away with a shake of his head. Moving to silence his mistrust, Ren brings his little sister figure a pillow that he smacks her with. “Don’t ever do something this stupid again.”

“Ow!” She rubs the arm he hit. “Look, I get it! But we were taking forever before going to change his heart, and I needed to try something before he’s elected.”

She destroys spaceships in the screen, but her score is lower than usual.

"Futaba."

She groans. "Please don't lecture me..."

"You wouldn't listen, I'll just leave that to Makoto." The flash of betrayal and comical dread that strike her like lightning is punishment enough. The small smirk on his lips lasts a second and then it falls. "Did Goro ask you to do this?"

He feels like a terrible boyfriend when she says no.

  
  
  
  
  


They let Haru and Futaba be in charge of writing the calling card as Goro supervises- he would have written a novel if they had left it to him. While it would have been funny, they doubt Shido would have spent the time reading it. A calling card has to be swift and effective, Morgana mewls as he licks his paw.

Ren starts passing the second coat of candy red nail polish on Ann's left hand as they sit on the attic's couch. He could never argue against the logic of crushing their enemies while looking their best, even if her nails would be hidden by pink latex gloves.

"Man," Ryuji flops against Ann, her eyes widen  as her hands sway with the push. "Are we really sending Shido just a stupid card?"

Ren's reflex is quick, and Ann's manicure suffers no damage. He can’t say the same is in future for Ryuji. Ren goads his best friend on. "Right? Where's all the pizazz?"

"Where’s the drama!" Ann chimes in with a giggle while Ryuji throws an arm around her. This time they are all ready, Ann is braced and Ren moves the brush a safe distance away.

"Exactly! The asshole tells everyone Renren’s dead and we don't get a grand comeback?"

"What did I say about the nickname."

"It sucks but," Ann's pigtails bounce as she shakes her head. "It's what's safest for Ren. Goro already explained that if we go public, they'll search for him _and_ Goro."

"I know..."

"Besides," Ren speaks casually. He won't let his voice betray the turning in his stomach at the idea of being hunted down and brought back to a grey cage underground, won't let show how real the threat of death is for him still. The what if that struck him was awful. Baseless- actively proven wrong. His boyfriend had had the chance already. "Goro already has a secured route to get the card to him and out without leaving evidence."

He shouldn't have spoken with Haru and Makoto alone last night.

"Yeah, yeah, I know Futaba checked that out."

“So let’s believe in him and do what we do best!”  
  
“Right,” Ryuji concedes easily.

“Steal things and look good while doing it,” Ren supplies, finds it easier to be how he should be when he's with them.  
  
Twin grins bloom on his best friends’ faces and they spend the afternoon, just like that. The cafe’s TV blares conspiracies about the origins of the "fake" allegations that spread like weeds throughout the city. The newscaster is as quick as the population to denounce and protect the electoral candidate.

Futaba must be seething.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It's ten in the morning and Goro walks in briskly. Fists balled so tight the veins of his arm pop and he shakes. Ren has only ever seen him this wound up in front of the cognition wearing his face, but even so it felt completely foreign under the light of the waking world. He shoots the enraged detective an inquisitive look, stands up and manages to step forward once before Goro's eyes are on him and his nostrils flared.

Maybe Goro is a Labrador.

"Don't worry about me." The real request buried under those words doesn't go unnoticed. Ren nods slowly and heads down the stairs. Morgana’s feet pitter patter after him in the direction of the LeBlanc’s entrance.

"That son of a bi-" Ren tunes him out the most he can and grants him as much privacy as the thin walls allow all the while opening the door. Morgana is eavesdropping, and Ren rubs along the line of his spine in comfort. It only takes a soft nudge before the small paws start trotting again. When the cat slinks outside, he shuts the door and walks behind the counter.

Upstairs, Goro moves. He paces back and forth, seething and hissing- the ceiling doing little to muffle it or the decrescendo of all those noises as Ren busies himself.

While Ren pours the coffee, Goro descends. The muscle of his face are still pulled taut but begin to lax as he sees the two porcelain cups on the counter.

"I told you not to worry about me." His throat is as hoarse as his word and the chair groans as it is dragged back for the detective to sit. Throwing himself on it, the wood groans and Goro smiles weakly before taking his mug.

"Well, I told you not to fuss about me that much while I was still recovering."

An almost empty chuckle follows him as he walks around the counter. "Spiteful."

"In every way," Ren replies easily and sits besides his boyfriend. Innocently, he places his hand on its side on the wooden surface and waits.

He doesn't wait long for Goro to slide his own hand against his. "I'll be ok."

The thief squeezes the hand in his hold and the motion is echoed back. "I know."

"I won't mess up."

"I know."

"That worthless man won't get away with all he did." Goro's fingers twitch as if to hold Ren's in a deathgrip but slacken. He knows he isn't listening right now so instead, Ren swipes a thumb on the back of black leather and hopes the action carries through. It must have, Goro turns to him, eyes resolute and voice firm. "And you won't have to hide here anymore."

Ren unwinds, appeased. His lips curl upwards and he leans his forehead against Goro's.

They stay like that for a second, until Goro lets out a small 'oh' and pulls away. From his back pocket, a black and red card is taken out and is handed to Ren.

"Here, evidence stolen. We should dispose of it before the heist.  Let's all do our best tonight."

Ren grins.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Ren swallows.

The air in the palace is ominous, the way they paved towards the treasure room too easy to travel. The mockery of people in gowns and masks whisper loudly. Their susurrus, the have-you-heards on how the captain is upset, it all makes the thieves jittery.

Mona is the first to shake himself out of his worry. "Alright! We only got one chance- let's change his heart!"

Panther is quick to agree, but Skull is faster. "Damn right! We'll steal this bastard's heart just like the others- we ain't got no reason to be so chicken!"

"Wow, that sure is motivational."

"Wh- Oracle! C'mon, man..."

"Still, there is no denying that this time it feels different," Fox voice defuses the situation and takes the spotlight.

Noir worries her lip and quietly leans closer to Queen who wraps her arm around her waist. A mass of red presses itself against Noir's other side in comfort, Panther takes off her friend's hat to brush her hair behind.

"It's fine- this time, this guy will definitely get what's coming!"

"Oh, I..."

Joker smiles softly. "He'll pay for all he's done,"  he tries to speak without gritting his teeth. Crow notices something, somehow, and he thinks that he raises an eyebrow under the red mask. "But this enough time wasted."

Crow nods.

"Oh, you know it's boss time when the hero is hyping it up."

"Uh, no- it's either biggest bad number two or the final boss."

"Skull, did you seriously try to correct me?"

Joker counts one last time his healing items, Queen helps him as everyone else watches with varying degrees of amusement the inevitable argument.  

"Joker, the palace turned Oracle into a noob."

Oracle hisses. "How dare you-"

"What does noob mean? They keep saying it." Noir puts her hat back on as Panther puts more of her weight on her shoulders. Fox frames the two between his fingers as Panther replies.

"Don't know? Maybe it's like ‘loser’? I only play rhythm games."

All healing items accounted for, Joker begins distributing them for their fight.

The chamber is empty. There's no one at the podium. The cheering rings from the speakers outside the room as a recording of Shido plays.

"Figures," Crow scoffs.

Palaces always make the psyche of their creator abundantly clear in obvious similes and in your face metaphors. All the chairs are vacant, a cloud shimmers on stage.

"I don't recall granting entry to common filth or petty thieves." His shadow, adorning a captain's regalia, rises confidently on stage. "This ship is too exquisite for stowaways such as yourselves to pilfer through."

Joker wagers Shido confused the meaning of the word exquisite with nauseating. The abundance of gold painted the palace tacky, not even Madarame would want to be caught dead in this ship.

Crow snorts. "I think we fit in here just fine. I wouldn't be surprised if all the gold on the ship were just painted to be an imitation."

"And who do you think you are?"

Skull tells him to take his question and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. It doesn't faze the shadow, its sights never leaving Crow nor Joker. It only grins as if completing a puzzle.

"Akechi?" It sneers. "Oh, no wonder you were quick to say something is fake- look at your clothes. A traitor to our nation such as yourself has no business dressing like this."

Mona yowls while Noir murmurs under her breath about Shido's self absorption. Joker would join them but he worries over something, someone, else. Joker's eyes flicker towards his boyfriend who nods at him. Before turning back to the shadow, he notices white hands clenched tight.

That’s probably bad. He attempts to diffuse the building anger in his boyfriend, or at least contain it to manageable levels, by diverging the palace ruler’s attention to himself.

"With the size of your ego, I'm willing to bet you have no idea who i am or how you ruined my life. Doesn't matter, we've come to take your twisted desires."

“Ah, so you did sell me out to them.” It talks to itself, uncaring of the input of its audience. As always, the Metaverse is too on the nose. The shadow's face morphs in amusement. "All this without following protocol? What a pity, I still had a couple more days of use for you."

"I know." Crows voice is even enough but his teeth are showing and the room trembles. The stage begins to rise, a golden stem reaching to the heavens from which golden leaves grow.

"I suppose your crown wasn't that fake, huh detective prince?" Shido's shadow stares them down as he rises on the golden stage. The leaves reach the walls and turn into the blades of fans, slowly twisting to cut them off from the apogee.

Crow shoots past Joker, a 'let's go' hissed in his wake that leaves Joker frozen in his spot, something curling up his spine and snickering in his ear. It's Fox who breaks the rest of the team from their stupor as he runs after him.

"Why do you try so hard to claw your way up? The top perch would never belong to a bastard spawn like you."

"You tra-"

"Is he talking to his reflection or somethin'?" Skull falls with a thud on one of the golden steps.

Panther's heels cackle right behind him. "Clearly, he polished the gold so hard he thinks it's real."

Skull high fives her.  Queen sighs while Mona praises her dreamily. But as his friends playfully banter, the smoke cloud shines above them. Joker's hands curve around his knife’s handle.

"I shouldn't have expected wit from those that would willingly interact with a harlot's child."

Crow flickers in the corner of Joker's eyes. "What did you say?"

"How is that bitch doing, Akechi? Is she dead or did she finally accept she had expired her usage and was thrown away? Did she abandon you too?"

Crow flickers again, Robin Hood only appearing for a second to bathe the shadow in holy light and -wait, the shadow hasn't even transformed---

"Don't you dare speak about her like that!"

Joker's hand wraps around Crows arm in a poor attempt of comfort. There's something in his throat, something he can't swallow. It bubbles up to his head and slithers itself around his thoughts.

Noir spits it out for him, shrill and lacking half the venom in her shock. "You knew he was your son and you still put him through all of that?!"

"He isn't as smooth as he thinks he is. He reminded me of someone and he proved me right with his slip up yesterday," a golden beast fashion from human bodies rises at his feet and roars. He takes a sit on it because _of course._ "All the sacrifice to be a useful tool borne from paternal bonds..."

Robin Hood attacks again.

"Everyone, it's time!"

"Just as pathetic as her even when you have the blessing of my genes-"

"Shut up!"

"Well, they are probably the reason why you made it this far. They were overpowering the weakness she gave you. You even look a bit like I did back in the day, aren’t you thankful?"

"Like hell-" Crow seethes, flickers, the smoke rising from his skin reaches Joker and fills his lungs. "- I would be-" It smells sweet, so sweet it drowns out his earlier hesitation. "-anything like you!" Skull is drown out by Crow roaring louder than the glittering beast. A ghost slashes it and it nearly shatters.

"Mona, what's going on?!" Joker's voice strains to be heard. Crow roars again, white garb oozing black, cape tattered and tainted as chains and straps fight a losing battle to bind him.

"I don't know! Maybe his definition of rebellion changed?"

Joker rushes to his boyfriend's side. He feels his skin thicken and turn to iron, he feels his bones lighten and his steps spring him farther. He’s grateful for Fox and Queen casting sukukaja and rakukaja independently before he can barge too close into the fray.

"Joker! Wait! His persona readings are completely different!"

An evolution of the self, whatever. He's seen it multiple times already in all his friends. He says as much as he reaches Crow, summons a Persona to protect them from a physical hit. Behind his boyfriend’s shoulder, a phantom that gains more and more consistency cackles in his ears while Crow stares at him behind a new mask. They speak over each other, both grabbing him and pushing him behind them and out of the way.

"Ah, now that getup is more fitting for someone like you."

Crow sways as he steps forward. A thundering sound echoes in his ears, and it takes yellow fingers squeezing his shoulder for Joker to realize it had been the sound of Panther and Skull rushing to his side. They help him up as another wave of black miasma rises from Crow. It stings their eyes.

"Is this how you looked when you carried out my orders?"

"Loki!"

The flames the persona conjures leave furious marks where they lick- he can hear the worry distorting the voice of the other thieves as Panther quickly shields them. Hecates drinks the blaze for them as the statuesque beast's face melts. Undeterred, the shadow raised his hand and with it, the statue hatches. The golden membrane breaks to reveal more precious metal in the form of wings. The avian creatures soars with its body of human silhouettes melded together and it takes Shido with it.

"It's a pity that stupid woman wasn't of better pedigree-"

Joker doesn't listen to the rest of the effective taunts nor Crows yell. Instead he turns to his oldest teammates.

"Skull, Panther, grab everyone else and find the treasure." He can't stress how necessary it is enough.

"And leave you with Crow?! No way dude, he's flipping his shi-"

Another thunder rolls and Crow is letting out the storm in his flesh ravage. The metal wings are nothing against his winds and ire, they've become dirty and dull as the bird is slammed against one of the pillars by a snickering figure in black and white.

"Ren, I'm not letting-"

"Panther," Joker hides behind the mask of fake assurance and the one of his rebellion. The others are coming towards them and there's no time to waste. "I have an army in here- make sure the flames don't harm anyone."

She opens her mouth to argue, but Skull grabs her upper arm and pulls just as the Shadow jumps down from its crumbled bird, spitting something new that leaves Crow's throat raw.

"C'mon- we won't be leaving this room,so we'll for sure be able to help this idiot if something comes up."

Joker thinks he doesn't deserve Skull's trust, but he appreciates it with all his heart. Panther’s heels clack as they part ways.

"Why do you blame me anyway for that bitch's death? I didn't tell her to keep you." Shido dodges a swipe of steel claws at his face, but isn't as lucky when it comes to the molten hot blade that slashes at his chest. He screams. "No matter how you look at it, you were the reason her life went to shit.”

"Shut up!" He summons Robin Hood and a burst of light almost knocks Shido off his feet. The barrel of the too realistic gun that Joker never bought glints in the light- Joker barely has the time to summon Arsène to rush the shadow out of the way. The bullet hits its shoulder and Crow howls with laughter.

The red and black personification of rebellion is grabbed by the striped persona and swirled on the blades of its heels, black feathers get lost in the air as his wings fall like fabric alongside the chains of black and red braids. The scorching hot blade stabs the floor before Arsène as Loki casts a new spell on the shadow.

"Crow," Joker whispers. His boyfriend stands before him, an arm raise lightly and it looks like a mockery of protection. "You can wail on a punching bag later, the plan-"

"I know the plan," Crow growls. "I know what I'm doing."

"Oh he does, doesn't  he?" Shido seethes. His shadow pulsing and swelling. "He'll bite the hand that feeds him no matter what." The shadow's coat breaks to reveal an exaggeration of muscles and flesh, metal protrusions decorating the skin and flaunting modifications, surgeries, to attain an image of _perfection_. "I would say not to take your eyes off of him."

"What do you know?" The whole thing is bitter in his palette. Fears he chokes down at night constrict around his throat.

Crow tenses. "I'm not-"

"An apple doesn't fall far from-" the tree.

If Joker hadn't already known the idiom, he wouldn't have been able to understand over the cacophony of Crows rage.

And Crow is fast- almost too fast. Joker barely manages to be one step ahead and to push Shido so that Loki and Robin Hood(- isn’t that odd? Now that he thinks about it, how is Robin Hood here? No one else could keep--) could only harm and not injure fatally.

"Oracle!"

The cracking of her persona rings in his head like static, Prometheus announces her presence. "We're looking! The treasure is here but-"

Blaze licks the floor again before Joker could switch personae. He braces himself and protects his face with his arms as he mentally catalogues the face he could take. There's a low animalistic sound, a puff of breath against his hair, and he finds Loki parting the flames before him. It looks down on him with a row of rusted shark teeth.

Oracle is yelling in his head. "Joker, what gives?! Change your persona now-- did you forget how, huh?"

And while he changes masks, there's a snarl over the cheering roar of the flames and the shadow says something to Crow, something that makes Loki's back curl like a mad hyena. A second snarl, Loki's hand shoots at Joker's face. An alarm blares in his head, but the persona only covers his eyes, pushes his head back. Something else shoots, it rings with a finality that drains all the blood in his body.

The flames burn out. The first thing Joker can truly see is his friends cowering behind Panther's and Hecates' arms, Anat shining at the back alongside Hermes as the protection and healing spells they've weaved dispersed up in the air. The specs of light float up and join the clouds in the center of the ceiling, glinting softly.

Underneath them, mere feet away from Joker, Crow stands breathing heavily in tattered black clothes with the weight on his shoulders lying at his feet.

Joker approaches slowly. A buzz in his head warning Oracle is about to contact him, yet nothing comes. There's a tremble in the distance and in Crow's voice.

"We should go."

The tremble and the murmuring of the other thieves grow into an explosion. He can hear vaguely Queen yell but he isn't worried, he already knows she’ll keep everyone safe at her side. A band of merry thieves looks after itself and everyone's safety is more important than a gone man's treasure, so Joker reaches out again, takes hold of Crow's... empty hand. And runs.

  
  
  
  
  


Morgana's ears flatten and he barely peeks out of Ren’s bag. "Good thing we didn’t send a public calling card huh."

All the thieves but one grumble. Goro is lagging behind the group as they walk towards the train station, eyebrows furrowed at the ground. It’s lonely, Ren hands the cat to Ann and falls back. He tries to be slow and gentle when he bumps shoulders against his boyfriend, but he still startles and blinks at him.

Goro smiles at him, slow but warm.

"Sorry about the treasure."

"Morgana will live."

Haru hums softly and her hands frame the cat’s face. “How long does it take?”  
  
Goro doesn’t seem to hear her, eyes unfocused as he begins to zone out and pockets his empty hand. The other clutches his briefcase tighter. Everyone’s tired, Makoto has no patience. Ren sends Yusuke a meaningful look and he is quick to nod, putting a cold hand on Makoto’s forehead. She yelps and swats him away, but recognizes the tactic for what it is if the dirty look she gives the two is anything to go by.

It’s no use delaying the inevitable and they do need to know. Ren bumps against Goro’s shoulder once more and asks him how long it takes for the death of self to kick in. Goro blinks and focuses on him for the second time.

"Anywhere between a couple of days to two weeks."

Mumbled low, but they all catch it. Ren wonders how high the odds are for it to kick in during the electoral assembly. He wonders too how quickly people will link it to someone cleaning up for the leaks. It’s a somber train of thought.

“Is it bad that I feel vindicated?” Haru whispers as she takes out Morgana to hold. Ren already knows she’ll request for the cat to spend the night with her.

“Haru…” Ann hooks her arm around the smaller but older girl. “I don’t think so.”

Makoto crosses her arm and looks at her feet.

“Well, hey, can’t really blame ya for reacting that way,” Ryuji cuts in, scowling. “Your dad’s a piece of shit.” He sighs, back curving more as he deflates in defeats. “But you kept it together enough to protect Ren, so I guess there’s that.”

As they all part ways in the city underground veins, the leather on Goro's hands is cold as it wraps around Ren’s hand. There are vines wrapping about his head too, they are poisonous, he doesn't know from where they took root. Ren sighs and speaks mutely.

"Would staying the night help?"

Goro says he doesn't know but follows him home anyway. His bag is light without Morgana in it.

  
  
  
  
  


Ren's hair is still wet from their short trip to the bathhouse. He forgot to dry it, the condensation on the windows reminded him too much of the clouds in the ship. It doesn’t seem to bother his boyfriend. Goro flops himself limblessly on the couch, lips upturned and body relaxed.

Ren stares.

"Goro. Do you know who leaked the information?"

“I will confess that I have my suspicions.”

Futaba’s new toys were convenient.

“Goro.”

Ren had burnt the calling card sent to Shido. The winds must be kicking up its ashes, escorting them into the attic cracks and take residence in his lung. The window must be opened because he feels the wind push him too and he approaches the detective on the couch. There’s tickling in the back of his throat, it closes up and he has to cough the obstruction away.

"Congratulations." He thinks some of the ashes by pass his airways for his tongue. It tastes awful.

Ren stands in front of him and Goro places his hands on his hips. Face impassive, a thin eyebrow raises. He doesn't elaborate but Goro is sharp. The fingers squeeze but don't claw  heat emanates from them and burrows its way into his flesh.

It would be so easy to step away. His feet are lead.

There's uncertainty here. There’s uncertainty in every breath he takes. But Ren sits himself down on Goro's lap, arms wrapping around his neck and eyes never meeting.

He can feel the smile spreading on Goro's lips in the snaking of hands around his waist. Ren buries his face in his neck, brown hair tickling his cheek, as a heartbeat pulses in his ear.

Held gently against Goro's ribs, breathing is hard.

"Thank you, Ren."

Lazily, like an air bubble dancing to the surface, a thought floats to the back of his head. His pyjamas don't have pockets. It still feels like there are rocks in them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ren is surprised when Goro shakes him out of a nightmare the next morning. 
> 
> Mona still whines that they couldn't steal the treasure.


End file.
